SB and graphics cards.

Hiho,

Being a bit of a rook when it comes to pc graphics I have a question which I think many people with my lever of knowledge (minimal) might have.

I do know SB has some graphics capability as standard, however how good is it and would it affect the need for a better graphics card (e.g. how would SB+older 512mb gpu compare with say phenom2 quad black series with 460 or so gpu when it comes to gaming)

I do understand it may be a silly question due to games heavy reliance on gpu however I am unclear about what gpu benefits SB brings exactly.

Re: SB and graphics cards.

Most games will run fine even on a dual core processor TBH.

However,if you have a quad core running at around 3GHZ you should be fine for a while IMHO.

For a gaming PC you will have two major upgrade cycles - the GPU and the CPU. Hence you need to balance your build so that it is more cost effective. Spending £500 on the GPU and £40 on a CPU probably won't be a great idea IMHO. However,most games tend to be GPU limited. A few games can be CPU limited but if you have a triple or quad core you tend to be fine even in these games.

Re: SB and graphics cards.

Thanks cat but as I said in my example I'm talking roughly amd quad and more expensive gpu vs SB i5 2500k for example and weaker gpu with equivalent motherboards for about same price as a whole with more spending on gpu in amd build and more spending on cpu in SB one but same price in the end

Re: SB and graphics cards.

Sandy Bridge CPUs have two built in graphics chips the 2000 and 3000, the 3000 is supposed to be comparable to the ATI 4500 series according to anandtech, but the drivers for Intel graphics are not as good as ATI or Nvidias. If you a casual gamer then the integrated graphics might be fine. But if you want to play newer games at higher resolutions then get a graphics card.

Re: SB and graphics cards.

Originally Posted by Molotov

Thanks cat but as I said in my example I'm talking roughly amd quad and more expensive gpu vs SB i5 2500k for example and weaker gpu with equivalent motherboards for about same price as a whole with more spending on gpu in amd build and more spending on cpu in SB one but same price in the end

I would say that the equivalent AMD motherboard are still cheaper by around £20.

Re: SB and graphics cards.

The main things the Sandy bridge cpu's have going for them are the same as the older i5 750 had going for it, in terms of gaming, the ability to use both sli or crossfire on one motherboard, good general performance.
Although you pay extra for it and currently sli/crossfire only really looks a good option for a eyefinity/surround view setup
For a single screen however it's overkill and you really don't need to go past a single graphics card.

I really don't think Sandy bridge hs brought much new to the table for gamers other than a die shrink and the improved performance that brings, but at a cost of new cpu & motherboard.
And there's really not that much that needs the additional cpu power.

Received thanks from:

Re: SB and graphics cards.

ok
It's just that due to some family stuff which would affect my after I graduate changing on almost daily basis I am having to wait and see if Ill get laptop and desktop and trying to get best knowledge in both cases although laptop part is a lot more basic and choices a lot fewer.

So gaming wise even from point of view of longevity of the investment you would say a 950 quad with better gpu and mobo would work better than current sb options and in distant future upgrade to bulldozer for example which I heard might be more bang for the buck

Also how long would you think phenom 2 amds will be relevant for and really start to be dire compared to other things ?
thanks again - can't help but notice both your level of expertise and willingness to share it cat ... and not the first time !

Re: SB and graphics cards.

AMD are releasing AM3+ motherboards in the next few months which will work with AMD Bulldozer and the current AMD AM3 CPUs. The current AM3 motherboards are supposedly not compatible.

One of the reasons why I have recommended so many AMD based systems in the last few years is partly due to the fact that their motherboards are both cheaper and better specified than most Intel motherboards. By the time you add the lower price of their CPUs,an AMD based system can be much cheaper than an Intel one.

Socket 1155,1156 and 1366 has seen the price of entry level Intel motherboard become inflated.

Only now with socket 1156 being replaced are the cheapest socket 1156 motherboards hitting around £50 - you were looking at closer to £65 to £70 beforehand.

Even entry level socket 1155 motherboards are starting at £70 with two RAM slots!

To put this in context the cheapest AM2+,AM3 and socket 775 motherboards start at £30 to £35.

How long will a Phenom II X4 955BE last though?? I cannot really say TBH!!

Re: SB and graphics cards.

yeah i know current ones aren't compatible but thanks anyway and i dont think waiting several months will be an option since using my old laptop isnt too appealing after switching from my god stolen one
yeah im definitely not looking to get older Intel cpus anyway
what do you think about longevity thing i asked in previous post ? aka when i'd need to reinvest in cpu if i went for amd quad phenom 2s now

Re: SB and graphics cards.

Re: SB and graphics cards.

god thats shocking ... being a very active gamer at semi-professional level at times really made me think everyone had a decent rig ... i guess that's silly of me then
I'd guess it should last me 6-9 months without any issue whatsoever then.

that's some good insight now al i have to do is wait for my family crap to settle down and hopefully still be able to build rather than get a laptop

Re: SB and graphics cards.

Originally Posted by Molotov

god thats shocking ... being a very active gamer at semi-professional level at times really made me think everyone had a decent rig ... i guess that's silly of me then
I'd guess it should last me 6-9 months without any issue whatsoever then.

that's some good insight now al i have to do is wait for my family crap to settle down and hopefully still be able to build rather than get a laptop

Regarding laptops AMD Llano looks very interesting! Supposedly this will be based on the Athlon II/Phenom II and have an IGP with 320 to 400 stream processors.

Re: SB and graphics cards.

well ill be probably buying stuff next week so hopefully ill have some solid info by then
ill read about those laptops now but im a) unsure they will b out soon enough ( i really cant handle my old vaio anymore it cant play anything but wow which i havent touched in a while) b) i'd still rather build anyway due to the bang for the buck and upgradeability so hopefully will do a refresh on my old build post next week